Colorado Springs

On this episode of Air Check, Mike Doughty talks getting sober and going solo after Soul Coughing, Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket plays some songs from his new record, Bill Forman shares some stories from his long career as a music critic, and we remember two towering musical figures that we lost in the last month.

Local band Cheap Perfume makes urgent music for turbulent times. The group's sound is fast and loud, at turns raging and satirical -- sometimes both at the same time. In their music, they tackle topics at the forefront of our nation's political debate right now, including racism, misogyny, the patriarchy, and even President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Colorado Springs now has the tagline "Olympic City USA," branding that suggests it's a haven for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The city has a reputation for being fit, but health indicators show that for many residents, that may not be the case.

Both the El Paso County Democrats and the El Paso County Republicans held watch parties at the Antlers Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs last night. There was surprise on both sides, as Donald Trump gained the electoral advantage over the course of the evening.

On August 25th, after months of behind the scenes discussions, Colorado College and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts center announced an historic alliance to integrate the FAC into the college. The announcement came after prolonged financial challenges at the arts center, stemming in part from a $30 million renovation in 2006.

In a nondescript gymnasium behind Immanuel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, there lives an incredible instrument. It's affectionately known as the "Mighty Kremer Wonder Organ," or "Kremer Opus One," and it's the largest theater pipe organ in Colorado.

Colorado Springs residents opposed to a controversial land exchange between the city and the Broadmoor Hotel filed paperwork Tuesday morning aimed at amending the city's charter. The amendment would require voter approval for any future sale, trade, or transfer of city-owned parkland.

Colorado Springs is embarking on a two-year process to create a master plan for the city. The effort, announced Wednesday, looks to provide what's being called a "roadmap to [the] city's 20-year future," and will help guide policies and priorities.

In prepared remarks at Wednesday's unveiling, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said the process will look at land use planning, including growth and infill, but it's much broader than that.

Local band Eros and the Eschaton are doing big things in the Colorado Springs music scene. Their brand of shoegazy indie rock has impressed fans, record label execs, and music writers around the country, and they've achieved a degree of critical and commercial success rarely seen by bands in the Pikes Peak Region.

With both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions now over, voters are weighing their options for November. KRCC's Tyler Hill recently spent some time at Acacia Park in Colorado Springs to get people's thoughts on what is proving to be an unorthodox election cycle.

A local group is suing the city of Colorado Springs to try and stop a controversial land exchange with the Broadmoor hotel. The deal, which was approved in May, would see the city trade a 189-acre section of Cheyenne Canyon known as Strawberry Fields for several parcels of land owned by the Broadmoor.

Wish We Were Here, Episode 16: Liberty's Pitchman - Robert LeFevre and the Freedom School

In the mid-20th Century, a man named Robert LeFevre (pronounced Luh-FAVE) created a small mountain academy just north of Colorado Springs called The Freedom School. The school, and his teachings, played an important role in the popularization of libertarianism in America. They also helped shape the minds of some of the the most powerful men in American industry and politics, not the least of which were Charles and David Koch, aka The Koch Brothers--two of the wealthiest men in the world.

On this episode of Wish We Were Here we tell the nearly-forgotten story of LeFevre and his short-lived libertarian boot camp.

Open seats were scarce at Tuesday's Colorado Springs City Council meeting as community members crowded in to share their views for the last time before a planned vote on a controversial land swap. Council ultimately approved the deal.

Wish We Were Here, Episode 15: Acre for Acre - The Fight Over Strawberry Fields

On this weekend’s special episode of Wish We Were Here, we take a close look at all sides of the proposed Broadmoor land swap deal and the way that open space defines Colorado Springs as a city.

At the heart of deal lies a 189 acre undeveloped piece of parkland at the southwestern corner of the city called Strawberry Fields. It’s been the subject of more than a dozen public meetings, myriad news stories, a widely circulated petition, and a fierce debate on social media.

UPDATE: Colorado Springs City Council has voted 6-3 to approve the land swap with the Broadmoor. Stay tuned to KRCC in the coming days for more.

The statehouse recently voted to commemorate four historical African American army units.

A resolution to designate a portion of Highway 24 in Colorado Springs as the "Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Highway" passed unanimously in the state house and senate along with a recognition of the units' importance in the state's early history.

The city of Colorado Springs released its appraisals of the properties at issue in a proposed land exchange with the Broadmoor Hotel yesterday. This comes amidst mounting criticism over what some have described as a lack of transparency in the process.